


Late Nights

by ClockworkJamboree



Category: Borderlands
Genre: F/M, trans headcanons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-10
Updated: 2015-10-10
Packaged: 2018-04-25 16:50:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4968694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClockworkJamboree/pseuds/ClockworkJamboree
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Vaughn and Fiona regularly get kicked out of the caravan when Rhys and Sasha want some time to themselves. They don’t mind, it gives them a chance to get to know each other. Short, pointless fluff complete with trans headcanons</p>
            </blockquote>





	Late Nights

“So… Up on Helios… On other planets… People like us are normal?” Fiona glanced up at the ominous station in the sky, glowing as it always did, lights flickering on and off. It was a nice night for once, no sand storms, no harsh winds, the calls of other bandits and the various Pandoran wildlife sounded distant rather than an immediate threat.

It was the perfect night to just sit outside the caravan and admire the stars. Not that Fiona and Vaughn had a choice, with Sasha and Rhys having commandeered the van for their own purposes. At least they had the decency to ask first. Or, Rhys did. Sasha was… Forceful, and Vaughn wasn’t keen on the threat of having more objects thrown at his head, his glasses cost far too much and no one on Pandora could replace them.

“Yeah. I mean, I went through the whole process in college. Seems like forever ago now… You shoulda seen me. I was… Pretty scruffy. Rhys had to teach me how to shave. It was… Kind of a mess,” Vaughn had a wistful smile on his face, remembering times long gone. Rhys had always been there for him. Rhys… Was a good guy. On multiple levels. Where would he be without his best bro, teaching him the basics of manhood, making sure he didn’t get left out, helping him be comfortable in a way he never thought possible. And that was all without mentioning their various nights experimenting together. What would a guy be without an awkward gay college experience.

Bros with benefits was always going to be better than just bros. And now Rhys had Sasha, and Vaughn was amazed. Sure, Rhys was the cool guy. He was the man with the plan. Smooth talking, a tall drink of water and all that. But Sasha was still way out of his league.

Vaughn was soon pulled from his thoughts when he realized Fiona was saying his name, giving him a look that seemed almost genuinely concerned. “Huh…? Oh! Sorry, sorry. Just… Thinking about how crazy it is. To be out here.”

Fiona snorted, leaning back against the wall of the van. “I guess it’s pretty wild for a well groomed city boy like you, huh?” They gave him a bemused look and he shrugged, nervously fiddling with his glasses, adjusting them and nodding. It was more than he could have imagined. He was terrified, but he felt alive for the first time in his life. It was like the first time he went to the official Helios office supply store. Better than that, even. Pandora had awoken something within him.

It felt like his life had been leading up to this. To being here. The working out. Taking risks on new brands of pens. Stealing a truckload of cash and becoming a wanted criminal. He’d fit right in here. Well. Maybe not right away. “You know… People like us… We have to work harder than people like Rhys and Sasha. Not… Not just because of…” Vaughn paused, furrowing his eyebrow and making a vague gesture toward Fiona’s body and then his own before continuing, “We… We have to forge our own identity. It’s not just given to us. We don’t get a free pass.”

Vaughn held his knees up to his chest and looked back toward the sky, trying not to focus on the various sounds coming from the caravan. It was rude to listen in but for kicking them out, they at least could have made an effort to be a little more quiet. Where else were they supposed to go, here? Fiona, on the other hand, seemed deep in thought. Their expression was one of concentration. It hadn’t been until they met Vaughn and struck up an odd sort of friendship with him that they realized so many things about themself.

The small accountant was so much more than he appeared to be at first glance. There was a fire in him, that was easy to see. A strength that told them that he could fit right in on a planet like this. Rhys… Wasn’t like that. Vaughn would always talk to them about feeling as though he didn’t fit in. About how he was never invited to all the various college, and later Hyperion events. He was just another face in the crowd, if that. But on Pandora?

Fiona knew he could be someone.

“You know, Vaughn… I’ve met a lot of people in my time. Conned even more. Reading people… It’s what I do. And maybe it’s because you had to fight so hard to be who you are but… There’s a fire in you. It’s an attractive quality, y’know?” Fiona gave him a smile and watched as he awkwardly gawked back at them before clearing his throat and nodding quickly.

“Y-Yeah, I mean… I like it here. I like the rush. I like the… Danger.”

“Then do something dangerous.” Fiona gave him a challenging look that caused him to falter slightly. They weren’t the muscle of the duo, but they sure as hell knew how to bluff their way into making sure no one made a move. Those eyes, staring him down. Painted lips in a confident smirk. The general fact they were… Taller than he was. Most people were, though, that was nothing new. And while it never bothered him, the way Fiona looked down at him, even though it was barely taller than he was… It felt like a symphony of Torgue grenades had just been set off in his chest.

“Dangerous… Huh…” Vaughn took a breath to steel himself. Fiona… They were dangerous. Back on Helios, in Hyperion introduction courses, this was the sort of person Vaughn was warned to stay away from. But he wasn’t going back to Hyperion. Not now he’d had a taste of all this. Besides. Since he’d met Fiona, since someone else had had the same confidence in him Rhys had. Someone else to talk to. Someone who _understood_.

His breathing was shaky as he leaned forward. He was going to kiss her. He was going to do it, do something dangerous, something for himself for once in his life. The first step to taking what he wanted.

Or, at least, it would have been the first step if it wasn’t for the loud, unfortunate and unmistakable sound of Rhys reaching his climax echoing from inside the caravan. Vaughn was snapped out of his trance and Fiona’s confidence faltered, the two of them just staring at each other before starting to laugh.

“Your uh… Your buddy in there knows how to ruin the mood, doesn’t he?”

“It’s… A talent of his, yeah…” Vaughn let himself lean back against the caravan and soon felt Fiona’s weight against his side, their head resting on his shoulder. 


End file.
